Pioneered by Scotland's "Cocteau Twins", dreampop is a catch-all term for ethereal (Dreamy) music with high, drifting vocals and a swirling wall-of-sound texture. Related to noisepop/shoegaze, but distinguished by frequent use of non-guitar electronics. Dates from the 80s but is experiencing a mdoern revival (M83 et al.)

Dream pop is a musical genre closely related to shoegaze, which originated in 1980s Britain with bands like the Cocteau Twins. It tends to be less associated with the walls of noise characteristic of shoegaze, and more with dreamy soundscapes and ethereal vocals. The vocals in dream pop tend to be more audible than those in shoegaze. The songs in general tend to have a more accessible, pop-orientated sound, and are less aggressive.

Many people erroneously use "dream pop" as a synonym for shoegaze. Some also argue that dream pop is in fact a subgenre of shoegaze.